The automotive industry, particularly the tire and wheel-rim manufacturers, are intensively working on the problem of developing motor vehicle wheels equipped with pneumatic tires, so-called run-flat wheels, which in case of air loss continue to be drivable for a given distance, although at a reduced speed. Such run-flat wheels typically have a so-called run-flat support body within the pneumatic tire mounted on the wheel rim. This support body has an emergency rolling surface supporting the tire in the event of damage and with its two axially exterior wall sections is propped against the wheel rim with the aid of annular support elements.
Such a run-flat wheel is described in German Laid Open Publications DE 197 07 090 A1 and DE 197 45 409 A1.
In the case of the prior art, the shell-type annular metal body has an undulated emergency rolling surface with two beads protruding in cross section and a central bead-like indentation. Such a run-flat wheel is illustrated in FIG. 7. This figure shows a perspective detail of a cutaway run-flat wheel with a wheel rim 1 on which a tubeless tire 2 is mounted. In addition, a shell-type annular metal body 3 is mounted on the rim via annular elastomer support elements 4.
The shell-type annular body 3, whose exterior forms the emergency rolling surface in case of air loss, has three annular beads 3a, 3b, 3c, two of which 3a and 3b protrude radially while the third 3c is turned radially inward.
Such a run-flat support body configured as a shell-type closed annular body with an undulated emergency rolling surface must be capable of being mounted inside the tire and together with the tire on the wheel rim and is not easily produced.